HRH The Countess of Wessex Helps Orbis UK Launch 'See My Future' Appeal

Saving children's sight, changing children's futures

LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday 28^th March, HRH The Countess of Wessex joined blindness prevention charity, Orbis UK, to mark the launch of their See My Future appeal in central London.

For three months, until 23^rd June, all public donations to the appeal will be doubled by the UK government.

In many parts of the world, avoidable sight loss means children are dropping out of school. Issues such as refractive error, cataract and strabismus (severe squint) can all impede a child's ability to see the blackboard, their text books and their teachers. In some cases children are dropping out of school to care for an adult with sight-loss.

See My Future aims to raise £850,000 and the UK government will match every pound, up to £2 million, which will help save the sight of thousands of children and adults around the world.

All of the money matched by the UK government will go directly towards expanding Orbis's project in Nepal which screens and treats children with sight loss, enabling them to attend school and face a brighter future. All individual donations will support the charity's vital sight saving work across the world, wherever it is needed most.

The Countess of Wessex, who is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, is a longstanding supporter of Orbis. She has seen the charity's sight-saving work first hand, visiting Orbis's Flying Eye Hospital programmes in Kolkata in 2013 and Bangladesh in 2017, observing everything from a cataract surgery using basic cost effective techniques, to a complex prosthetic surgery on a man who had not been able to see for fourteen years.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

"Access to proper eye care can be life changing for a Nepalese schoolchild. Unchecked visual impairments can lead to blindness, meaning the child is forced to leave school, and potentially faces a lifetime of unemployment and poverty.

"By giving them basic eye-care, the UK Aid-backed See My Future appeal will help give a future to more than 300,000 children across Nepal.

"UK Aid Match will double every pound, up to £2m, which the Great British public donates to this campaign, meaning their generosity will go twice as far."

Rebecca Cronin, Orbis UK CEO says: "With a simple eye exam and a pair of glasses, a child's life can be transformed. Clear sight opens up a future of possibilities - children can return to school, play with their friends and contribute to society, breaking the cycle of poverty.

"With the UK government's Aid Match scheme, our See My Future appeal really will have twice the impact - just £5.50 doubled to £11 could provide two new pairs of glasses for children struggling to see in school."

Orbis UK's See My Future appeal runs until 23^rd June. Double your impact by visiting: www.orbis.org.uk/en/see-my-future

For further information contact Communications Manager Natasha Lee: [e-mail] [phone]

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